We’ve been working together since just a few days after this little guy was born. Well…he’s not so little anymore, is he? And for as long as I can remember, they’ve been talking about their forever home they were building. And finally, we got to work in their new forever home and it was just as wonderful and beautiful and relaxed as we could have ever imagined! AND, we need to talk about mom’s amazing decorating abilities. Her lust for crazy and colorful wallpaper is enviable…and I wanna know when she’s going to come out and select fun wallpapers for my house? 😉

LOVE that flag. Love this whole room!

Another fun and different image from her room.

He LOVES being outdoors…I think that’s why this forever home is so perfect for him.

From Mom:

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? 

We try to do an annual session with Michele:)

What was your favorite part of your session?

Our favorite part was watching our daughter spin our son in a chair and both of them laughing:

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

No.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Be flexible and relax…Michele is super Zen and easy and will make your family instantly at ease

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

We love Michele’s finished product…year after year…

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

That looked like a fun day:)

I’ve been lucky enough to hang out with Kelly in several different capacities many times over the past few years and let me tell you, you had better be ready to laugh when she’s around because she is unstoppable and you never know what she’s going to do or say to crack you up. I imagine that’s one of the many qualities that make her such a skilled family photographer herself.  So, the session started off perfectly enough…loving parents doting on their BEAUTIFUL, spunky daughter.

But then hints of their shared sense of humor started emerging: notice Kelly and her daughter are making the same face on the left up there? I did not tell them to do that. They just laid down together and looked at each other like this and I was like yup, the apple did not fall far at all ;-).

The “ice cream” I was talking about in the title of the post? Recognize it? Um. Me neither ;-). But lets just say that #1 there’s just no way to pull off a photo shoot involving ice cream on Labor Day in Texas and #2 this young lady is REALLY convincing with her cone, don’t you think? And yup…there’s more hilarious expressions again.

So Kelly’s dad was kind enough to drive out his GORGEOUS classic car for the final part of our session. I was trying to get serious photographs here, but Kelly just kept me giggling the whole time! The one on the right below? I had to be really fast to catch that one. You never know what Kelly is going to do next ;-).

And then, we just bathed in perfect light for a bit. Favity fav HERE.

SO glad to get the grandparents in here for a couple of pics at the end. SOOOOOOO cute!

In Kelly’s words:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Jason & I have been married for 13 years and Natalie is our world. Over the last few months we’ve started a lifestyle change by eating healthier and squeezing in some exercise… and we both were excited for this session so it can capture the progress that we’ve made so far.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

Well… Fall is my FAVORITE time of year… the colors, the smells, the food, and just the big hug feeling you get from it all. Since I too am a photog and it’s our busiest time of year, I opted to aim for a bit of Fall, but before all my craziness sets in.

Where was your session held and why?

Our session was in a field outside of Austin… not really a special place to us, but I’ve always loved how the Texas roughage looks in pics especially at sunset. It always as some gypsy whimsy without distracting for the subject. I was also wanting a bit of old school nostalgia for this session. Since my dad collects and rebuilds old cars, it was only natural to use one for this vibe.

What was your favorite part of your session?

LOL… Me not having to shoot it!!! With being a photog, you’d think I would have TONS of pics with me in them and WITH my family… but I’m usually on the other side of the camera. I too also want the emotion and interaction with my family captured naturally without having to stage it and set a timer… or hope that my mom might actually keep it in focus, LOL.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

Yea… that the old car wouldn’t make it there!

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

YES…. All women should get their hair and make-up done!!! I did, and it was one less thing to stress over and helps you feel more perky pretty for when you’re infront of the camera!

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

Because even though I still crave to have a boring traditional “everyone all looking and smiling at the camera shot”… I only need 1…. and the rest I love to leave it up to Michele in freezing our quirky selves.

What do you hope your family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

Awww… We actually do look good and like humans when we’re not sweating at the softball park!

It is not easy to articulate how this family makes me feel. When you’ve worked with a family for so long, it just doesn’t seem like “work” anymore and it becomes more like it’s MY own family I’m hanging out with. The kids just treat me like I’m a goofy aunt or something ;-). My Type A side tries really hard to keep my business self separated from my personal self–but that’s pretty much pointless. With a “job” this intimate, you just can’t help for your heart to become invested in the families you spend time with…you can’t help but to adore these children like you would adore your own. I was actually sad to leave my session with these guys :-(. Their children keep me so entertained…they make me laugh…they make me look upon my own kids and wish for this time back with them at these ages. And mom and dad couldn’t be more wonderful if they tried. They let their children be themselves and love them completely for exactly who they are and their passions. It’s a pretty beautiful thing to watch, actually.

She actually got in a couple of decent steps here!!! Way to go G!!!!

Big sister photobombed us at the last minute and I loved it.

Giggling at the littles.

When mom is willing to dance and twirl with her daughters in a beautiful dress during a beautiful sunset? Yes, please. Also, this one…yes, please.

A million thank you’s for letting me spend these times with your family, J and B…I love each and every time.

When trying to decide what we would do for this year’s annual family photo session, it didn’t actually take very long to land on the perfect location. You see, we all wanted something different from the past, but also something meaningful and when mom said that they often go into downtown Austin to run/bike with dad before work, well, I knew that’s exactly where we should go. We started off our very early morning with “coffee” at Jo’s because…#josisaustin. Loved the way the store lights looked, twinkling in the early morning. Also loved that her bunny (shhhhhh…don’t say anything, but I believe this is a replacement bunny) made it’s way into this session, too ;-).

Baby girl pretty much took charge and led the way for us to hit Auditorium Shores.

I love this city in the morning, too, little one!

Ohhhhhhh…that look. She *still* looks like a real, live doll to me. Those lips and those beautiful cheeks. Sigh.

Um, and how gorgeous is she???? I realized this session just how much mom and daughter look alike!!! I love being able to see new traits and features present themselves as I watch children grow up.

Okay, now these images under the bridge make my heart go pitter-patter. The. Duck. The. City. The. Light. The precious little girl hanging out with her parents. I mean, really, it’s all too much for me!

And when this happened, I melted into a little Pinkle Toes puddle right on the spot!

Back to downtown Austin!

Mom snuggles and then a goodbye kiss from dad as they each went off to begin their days at work. Such a sweet, sweet routine and how lucky to have it on camera now!

Pinkle Toes Photography has been around long enough to where I am starting to see many of my session come full-circle. I first met Marianne almost five years ago when we got together in downtown Austin one morning to photograph her daughter’s senior portraits. It’s hard to believe she’s MARRIED now! A few years later it was her son’s turn (the pupster is prominently featured in the images below) and then next thing you know, her youngest son was also graduating high school.

And here we are…it’s 2015…the kids are grown and going in all new directions and Marianne wanted one last chance to capture them together, at home, being a family before even more momentous changes take place in their lives. I was so looking forward to get this incredible opportunity to finally work with them all together and honored to be invited into their home.

Oh…these flowers. There’s a story about them. I won’t get into details (well, maybe you can learn some below), but I can only hope that everyone will have a little giggle each time they see this pic and remember what their dad went through to get these gorgeous flowers “planted.” 😉 just for the session.

A house full of love. And animals!

The treehouse they built together.

The look this cat gave him when he picked her up? Oh, my, word!

Love.

Love. And LOVE.

And then Marianne retreated into the kitchen to make a giant breakfast while the kids and animals 😉 visited in the living room. It was comfortable. It was natural. It was so relaxed.

Three words come to mind when I see/think of Marianne = radiance, grace, strength.

And I have to say, Marianne has a true knack for decorating! I adored the way she dressed the breakfast table! And there’s all kinds of sweet, tasteful touches throughout the home.

Priceless! I’m afraid we encouraged some bad habits that morning. Ooops!

The whole crew!

In Marianne’s words:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

We’re a ragamuffin crew that love each other immensely. We’re so far from perfect but we stick together through whatever life throws at us…it’s better together. We are blessed with mercy and grace.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We are all launching out in new directions…boys in college, Annie and Ben beginning a new marriage and new careers…and Rick and I entering our 25th year of marriage as empty nesters…. I wanted some photos to memorialize how much we love being a family but also how “okay” it is that we are moving into individual spaces in life. It’s kind of a way of leaving breadcrumbs along the trail…or a big landmark on the path behind us.

Where was your session held and why?

As a military family we have lived in 10 different homes in 7 different locations including 3 different countries. We’ve lived in this house the longest (6 years) and wanted to have the shoot here to remember the last (and longest) place we’ve lived together. It seems that this house holds the most special of memories…proms, graduations, weddings, and even tough times – and it is chalk full of life and love. As empty nesters, Rick and I will most likely move in the not too distant future. Somehow having pics of the last place we all lived together under one roof makes it all them much more special.

What did you like about your session location?

We loved having Michele in our home. She is so easy to be with and we have considered her a dear friend for so long…it only seemed natural to have her here. It was fun to have her “eye” spy the beauty in our home and I knew she would memorialize it perfectly.

What was your favorite part of your session?

Though none of us are particularly “morning people” it was so fun to have everyone “up and atem” at 7am and even smiling. I loved that the session was more like a family event – “remember that time Michele came to our house super early and we got all dressed up and took pix…”

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

I was worried that no one would smile at 7am!

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Well…I’m not sure we should mention the flowers for our mailbox that Rick took from the neighbors bush at 6:15am the day of the shoot…but fyi – they were dead by the next day! It was funny to see our Cat diva-it up. He never comes around but just had to be part of the action.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Do what seems natural…whatever you do as a family that brings pleasure (for us…well, we eat breakfast!) haha.

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

We love Michele!

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

Remember that day we got all dressed up early in the morning and Michele came and took pix? That was so fun!!

A mommy. A wife. A daughter. A role model. A friend. A volunteer. A community servant. A fighter. A light. An inspiration.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

These images were taken along the banks of the flood-ravaged Blanco River in Wimberley. This was the site of the very first time I photographed her family as well as the very last time I visited them before her diagnosis and the flood. She said she thought it would be fitting…her bald head with the bald trees. I found it to be incredibly breathtaking, in equally good and bad ways: the flood damage is shocking, but so is the fact that she can still be so beautiful with no hair, while fighting cancer.  She has an immeasurable amount of strength and an energetic soul that shines throughout and I have not a single doubt that she is going to heal and move forward. Her courage and bravery inspires more people than her humility allows her to see.

I so enjoy getting to work with families with older children, especially repeat families because I really get to see little glimpses into my future before while watching these kids grow up before my eyes. First of all, let me tell you that the weather for their family photo session in Zilker Park could not have been any more perfect for a summer’s day. There was just the right amount of cloud cover that let us play with the city of Austin as our backdrop for a good hour AFTER sunrise, which is pretty much unheard of. While I’ve been to Zilker many times before, this was the first time I had ever climbed the rocks and I quite enjoyed the new perspective it gave us. I also liked hearing the boys reminisce about their memories climbing the rocks at the park as we explored.

At our last session, we played some football, and it was so cool to revisit that moment this time. But I kinda dug this take on it! #boymom

Brothers. Love.

Then we got to move on to the rowing docks. This is a HUGE pastime for this family and nothing is better than getting to capture something meaningful and memorable at a family photo session. And I loved the beautiful, bright colors this location gifted to us!

These two…SO cute together!!

I’m not sure if these boys realize just how lucky they are to have a mom and dad as cool as theirs ;-).

Side note: it was surprisingly difficult to get all three boats together in the same frame…here’s an outtake, turned image from our efforts.

Yaaaaaaasssssss! And then they all literally jumped into the lake! Repeatedly. You would be surprised at how many takes it required to get just the perfect shots. Though I don’t think anyone minded the chance to cool off and refresh one bit ;-). Another jumping fav HERE!

Okay, you *may* need some shades to get through all of the images in this family session. Truly, one of the most VIVID and colorful and URBAN photo sessions I’ve done in Austin! I’ve driven by the Austin Graffiti Park many times and I’ve always wanted to check it out, so I was pretty excited when my chance finally came with one of the most Austin families you’ll ever meet. Now, I will say, it was a bit of a challenge to avoid #1 the mud, #2 me falling off a wall, and especially #3 the not-so-appropriate “art,” but we did our best and these guys were positively AMAZING! I cannot think of a better group of cool, hip, awesome people to try to pull this off with! My absolute FAVORITE image (which will also be going in my portfolio whenever I get around to updating it 😉 is HERE!

 You don’t say?

 THE COLORS!!!!!!

 Hello!

 We were *trying* to have a serious moment here, but it just wasn’t happening. By this point, we were all pretty delirious with the heat and all nice and sweaty, lol!

 You know I can’t pass up a cool reflection!

 A bit like a game of Where’s Waldo…see if you can find all five people ;-).

 Some of the randomness we spotted.

And, I want to give a shout-out to photographer Christie Goss who flew all the way in from Jackson, Wyoming (in a TROPICAL STORM, no less) to come hang with me for a few days and talk all things photography and business-related (rescheduled her Pinkle Toes Photography Workshop). She is SO wonderful, SO talented, and we had a fantastic time tooling around Austin. Thank you so much, Christie. I really enjoyed my time with you and I look forward to getting to visit with you again!

And now, from mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Chris and I met in 5th grade, went to prom together our senior year and celebrated our 11th anniversary just two days after this photo shoot. We created three pretty awesome small people, Paxton (8), Evan (5) and Hamilton (2.5) that we are just trying really hard not to mess up too bad.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

Michele came to our house right after we were fortunate enough to move back to Austin in 2011 and she’s been a staple for our family every year since. This year I was in a panic trying to figure out when we could fit our annual session into our crazy 2015 schedule….needless to say, the stars aligned and she contacted me!

Where was your session held and why?

We went to HOPE Outdoor Gallery aka Graffiti Park at Castle Hills aka the Baylor Street Art Wall. Our kids had been dying to explore the park and I just love the ever changing art work and colors. Michele needed us to go somewhere urban and super Austin-y. I really couldn’t wait to see what she could do there.

What did you like about your session location?

Oh, Ha! See above??? I think it’s a place that screams Austin. It was started as an educational art project and is one of the largest outdoor galleries in the USA. There are little gems hidden everywhere within the artwork (and some not so hidden gems we tried to avoid, ha!).

What was your favorite part of your session?

That it stopped raining just long enough to squeeze the session in at all??? That, and just exploring all around the gallery…and that funky detergent baby hanging on the post…keep Austin weird, y’all.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

No way. At this point in our relationship, a session with Michele is like a little family reunion. [I feel the same, my sista!]

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

The fact that my oldest always finds a way to pass gas towards the end of our shoots with Michele and this year the baby was old enough to get it and then proceeded to run around and tell us all over and over that, “Paxton tooooooot!!!” and crack himself up.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Relax and trust Michele. She sees things that you absolutely had no idea she was photographing at the time. She handled the fact that my daughter went through a phase where I had to be holding her at all times and that my boys are wild and crazy. She has photographed us everywhere from our house at sunset, to the Broken Spoke at the crack of dawn, to little pockets of west Austin, the hospital, her studio and now a giant graffiti wall. She’s photographed us dressed to the nines, casual, super pregnant and pushing out a baby. Every single image she has captured of us we have loved. Every. Single. One. Every time we see her I am anxious to see what she comes up with because I just know she’s going to produce something that takes my breath away once again. [Aw…wow…thank you, W!]

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

We spent a little time in Lubbock as a family and I had the privilege of doing some work for a neighbor that was a photographer. Having seen the behind the scenes action there, I scoured the internet when we moved back to Austin searching for the right “feel” for our family. I stumbled upon Pinkle Toes Photography, googlestalked her, and there was no turning back. Her website, her blog and most importantly, her images just spoke to me.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I am really glad Mom made us wear those goofy age shirts every year….when’s our next session with Michele?

There’s been a whole bunch of new little babies born this summer, so here’s another treat! This little cutie did soooooooo great during her newborn photo session…LOVE her sweet little poses that she did all on her own. I think she knew she was being photographed ;-). My favorite moment was between her and her big sister HERE.

From mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Our family balances each other out. We are different from one another but complement one another at the same time.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We wanted to do a newborn session since we recently had our second child.

Where was your session held and why?

At home.

What did you like about your session location?

Everyone could be comfortable. With a new baby, there is more chaos and being at home made most sense.

What was your favorite part of your session?

Sibling pictures- big sister Amara is super excited about her new role and adores her baby sister. Amara is very loving and loves helping her mom out however she can.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

Getting everyone ready and hoping for cooperative kiddos!

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Amara wanted to spend the session holding or being close to her new baby sister and could not get enough!

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Michele is great to work with and she is very laid back and makes everyone feel comfortable- easy to be yourself. Try to relax and have fun!

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

As above, plus Michele’s pictures are so unique and she is so creative. When we were looking for a photographer, she stood out from the others with her vibrant and fun picture.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

That it was so worth taking the time to do them.

——————

And, how about a short trip down memory lane with a look at some of their maternity portraits we took in downtown Austin. Side note: this was the only time I had to call a session early because of LIGHTNING!!! Whew…it was crazy! Made for beautiful clouds, but eventually it got to the point where it just wasn’t worth being outside anymore ;-(. Fortunately, we had gotten plenty of images beforehand and everyone did so great working so quickly!

I showed up to their beautiful home bright and early at 7 a.m. and I have to say, when you’re greeted with, “Miss Michelllllllle! I love you so much! We are besties!” well, you just can’t be grumpy about being up so early, lol. By the way, that was from Mr. Man and he rolled the ‘l’ in Michelllllllle every time he said it and I thought that was the cutest thing ever! Hard to believe I first started working with them when he was just a wee babe and now look at him! And now look at baby sister, too?! Yes, this family is indeed near and dear to my heart. So many wonderful memories at our photo sessions through the years. But probably most of all, this one lol ;-).

So, funny enough, just a few seconds after I started taking the pool pics, I stuck my arm in a wasp nest!!! Yeeeeeowtch!!! Occupational hazard. It’s crazy, too, because we had been working so much by it earlier in the session and nothing ever happened to the kiddos, thank goodness! I’m so glad it was me! Once I stopped crying (nah…I only cried on the inside), we got to play a little bit more and the kiddos were rewarded with popsicles. I’m glad we stuck it out because my favorite image was taken right here by the pool ;-0.

From Mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Holden & Calla are growing up so fast and we like to capture as much of their lives as we can. We took our first family photos with Pinkletoes when Holden was 9 months old and have done sessions every 3 months for the past 2 years 🙂 We hang the canvases all over our home so that we can be surrounded by what we love the most – our family 🙂

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We try to do them every three months to capture Holden & Calla – they change so very much at this age 🙂

Where was your session held and why?

Our home – we wanted to capture our family together where we love to be – at home with each other 🙂

What did you like about your session location?

The trees were in bloom and we were at home with each other.

What was your favorite part of your session?

Playing ring around the rosie 🙂

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

No.

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Calla is funny in that she is always smiling, however, for some reason she gets stonefaced when we do actual photo sessions 🙂

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Relax & have fun 🙂

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

When we moved to Austin 3 years ago, our photographer from Illinois said “you HAVE to get Pinkletoes to shoot you, I’ve been following her work and it’s beautiful.” So we booked our first session 3 years ago and we are always THRILLED with how they turn out – always better than expected (and we have high expectations). Also, we’ve come to love Michele, our kids get SO EXCITED to see her when we do a shoot.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

Look how much fun we had together. Look how much we love each other.